Marcos' pre-season diary

First team coach Marcos Alvarez gives us the inside track on this summer's pre-season training programme with a diary running until the big kick-off in August.

First team coach Marcos Alvarez gives us the inside track on this summer's pre-season training programme with a diary running until the big kick-off in August.

Marcos will tell us what's going on with regular updates explaining the gradual increase in training levels as our Premier League opener at Middlesbrough on August 16 approaches.

Day 1, July 3

"THE FIRST day back is the introduction to the new season and we are just looking for a light session to get back into training," reported Marcos.

"The great thing for us is that the players have been away for 50 days but they have all returned in good shape. It's important because if they came back out if shape, we would have to change the training.

"We stay together as a big group. If we had players with different states of fitness we would have to split the group but we can all train together and give all the players the same work.

"We will increase the pace of training on Friday and after that we have fitness and medical tests, dividing the group into two. The fitness tests include speed tests and jump tests. Then on Sunday, we'll start to train harder."